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In contrast to the last three years — when our winter holidays were accompanied by real winter weather — this year’s festivities feel a bit out of place given the warm, equatorial climate in Rwanda. But that’s no reason not to celebrate, especially since Christmas and Hanukkah overlapped this year.

In addition to the Chao Phraya River, which bisects Bangkok before emptying out into the Gulf of Thailand, there are also innumerable canals that further divide the Thai capital into a maze of riverine neighborhoods. One hasn’t fully experienced Bangkok without navigating its waterways.

Given the planned festivities, D wasn’t sure he would get a chance to see much of the city. But with the guys spending countless hours at the clothier getting fitted for their suits, D didn’t feel bad striking out on his own to explore a bit of Bangkok.

This week marks the beginning of our sixth month in Rwanda. 2016 has flown by in a flash and it’s a bit hard to wrap our minds around the fact that we’re nearing the midway point of our first year in Kigali. It’s even harder to believe that our car, which we shipped well before leaving Washington, still has yet to show up in Rwanda.

With the exception of Turkey and Israel – hardly countries that come to mind when one thinks about traveling around Asia – D had never set foot on the world’s largest continent until his recent trip to Thailand.

The Nyarutarama Lake is fine for dog walking and bird watching, but it’s not exactly the most scenic of locations, even if it is the one public place we’ve found in Kigali that has some greenery. When S decided she wanted to get family photos done, we ventured a bit farther afield in search of a more suitable location, winding up on the shores of Lake Muhazi.

“What?!” D’s dad asked incredulously over Skype, giving the impression that he didn’t believe his ears though he might have simply missed what Munchkin had said. “You have to talk nicely,” Munchkin reiterated – “If you want to talk to me, you have to talk nicely.” Where does he come up with this stuff?